Central Futbol Club

Marcano! Marcano! Marcano! Central FC can dance to their fundraising boat party, “Bitten”, on Saturday night aboard the Habour Master after stretching a seven-point lead at the top of the Digicel Pro League to move within one win from retaining the crown.

Jason Marcano scored three times for the defending champions before substitute Kadeem Corbin completed a 4-1 rout over 10-man Club Sando in their rescheduled Round Three fixture on Friday night at the Hasely Crawford Stadium to take their 2015/16 points tally to 52 points with three games left in the title race.

San Juan Jabloteh, who must face Central when the league resumes in May, are second with 45 points and currently stands with the best mathematical chance at hurdling the “Couva Sharks” for top spot. Central will complete their games against North East Stars and St. Ann’s Rangers.

W Connection are third with 43 points, followed by Defence Force (42 points) and North East Stars (41 points).

Central coach Dale Saunders made no changes to his starting line-up that defeated Morvant Caledonia United 3-0 on Tuesday, to return to winning ways after a two-game losing spell in the league, and it paid off.

Marcano scored his first in the 35th minute to hand Central a 1-0 lead which the “Sharks” held to the break.

Marcano, who had gotten close twice earlier and had an effort kept out by Kelvin Henry, beat the Sando goalie on the rebound after Henry had blocked out an attempt from Ricardo John.

Henry was well-positioned a minute before the break to keep out a Sean De Silva attempt following a feed from John. And well into the second half the Sando shot-stopper was brilliant again, putting behind a strike from above the box by Corbin.

But from the resulting corner kick, Marcano headed past Henry at the back post to give Central a 2-0 cushion in the 64th minute after De Silva's cross had beaten a handful of players.

Sando were halfway back four minutes later when midfielder Akeem Humphrey thumped a low strike to beat goalkeeper Akel Clarke from the top of the area – slicing the deficit 1-2.

However Marcano completed his hat-trick in the 79th minute with his 12th league goal this season to put his side 3-1 ahead.

Marcano pounced on a back pass by Sando defender Kevon Neaves and showed excellent fortitude, after being hacked down outside the box by Henry, to spring to life again and enter the area with the ball before firing into an open net.

Sando’s troubles worsened a minute later when Grenada national team defender Shannon Phillip saw red for a dangerous tackle on Central substitute forward Nicholas Dillon.

The night, however, was not over for Sando and their goalkeeper Henry who made a stoppage-time save to deny De Silva after Dillion had knocked down a Marcano cross to the onrushing midfielder.

Central finally found their fourth goal in the second minute of stoppage-time for the 4-1 finish when Corbin slid in to put a Dillon strike over the line after the latter had rounded goalkeeper Henry.

Central will next focus on their Caribbean crown defence, when they travel to Haiti next week for the final round of the Caribbean Club Championship 2016 along with last season's runners-up W Connection.

Connection will take on Jamaica's Arnett Gardens and Central are against host club Don Bosco FC in the semi-final round on Friday April 29 at the Stade Sylvio Cato, with both winners securing Concacaf Champions League spots for the 2016/17 season.

The Caribbean final, and third place play-off which will determine the third and final Caribbean spot at the Concacaf Champions League, will be contested on Sunday May 1.

Central are hosting Saturday's (tonight) "Bitten" boat party as part of their fundraising efforts to travel to Haiti next week. Boarding for the Harbour Master begins at 11pm and returns at 3am. Persons interested in tickets – which cost $200 – are asked to contact the club’s Facebook page Central FC Fan Club.

W Connection, meanwhile, are after their third major domestic title this season – after the First Citizens Cup and Toyota Classic – when they take on Caledonia in the final of the Lucozade Sport Goal Shield 2016 from 6pm at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Sunday April 24.